H.L. Mencken said “Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage.” Here at The Monkey Cage, we talk about political science research and use it to make some sense of the circus that is politics. We were named 2010 Blog of the Year by The Week and a 2012 Best Blog by Time. Our archive of previous posts at themonkeycage.org is here. Our roster of contributors includes:

John Sides is an Associate Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. He specializes in public opinion, voting, and American elections. His books include The Gamble, a study of the 2012 presidential election. He has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, Salon, Boston Review, and Bloomberg View. Follow him on Twitter @monkeycageblog.

Henry Farrell is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. He studies trust, the politics of the Internet, and international and comparative political economy. His recent book is The Political Economy of Trust. Follow him on Twitter @henryfarrell.

Joshua Tucker is a Professor of Politics at New York University. He specializes in voting, partisanship, public opinion, and protest, with a focus on Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He is a Co-Director of the NYU Center for Social Media and Political Participation. He has also written for The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera English, and the International Herald Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @j_a_tucker.

Erik Voeten is the Peter F. Krogh Associate Professor of Geopolitics and Justice in World Affairs at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government. His research focuses on international institutions and law. He occasionally pontificates about soccer and all things Dutch. Follow him on Twitter @ErikVoeten.

Kim Yi Dionne is Five College Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College. She studies identity, public opinion, political behavior, and policy aimed at improving the human condition, with a focus on African countries. She has also written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and Africa is a Country. Follow her on Twitter at @dadakim.

Laura Seay is an Assistant Professor of Government at Colby College. She studies African politics, conflict, and development, with a focus on central Africa. She has also written for Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Guernica, and Al Jazeera English. Follow her on Twitter at @texasinafrica.